Get to Know S3's WHITE LOTUS Cast
Silver screen moments before a small-screen spotlight
If my social media feeds are to be believed, Thursdays are now for Severance. And, for the next eight weeks, Sunday nights will once again be The White Lotus' property.
After over two years off the air, a seminal television work of the post-COVID era returns to HBO and Max. The show took off right when I started this version of my newsletter, and I responded with a breakdown of the career of showrunner Mike White and his unique profile in the industry:
For the third season, which premieres on Sunday, I’m taking a look at the cast. White’s vast ensemble casts of The White Lotus have provided countless opportunities for actors to take entirely new directions in their careers. It launched Fred Hechinger, Lukas Gage, and Leo Woodall; cemented the growth trajectories of Sydney Sweeney and Haley Lu Richardson; prompted reappreciations of Murray Bartlett and Aubrey Plaza — and, of course, made a true icon out of Jennifer Coolidge.
So what can we expect from the Thailand-set third season? I’ve taken a look at some of the cinematic output for this season’s The White Lotus cast (trying my best to shine a light on the lesser-known cast members, but it was tough with the lack of available titles!) and tried to lay out what we might see on Sunday nights.
CARRIE COON
Closest cast comp: Connie Britton
Real ones have known since Gone Girl, and the most real ones follow her Letterboxd exploits along with her husband Tracy Letts. If you want a leading lady who’s going to present as stern only to let the facade chip away and reveal the vulnerabilities that such a posture masks, you’ve got to get that script in front of Carrie Coon. There’s no better example of her talents than in last year’s His Three Daughters, a tale of how sisters navigate their father's impending death. Coon’s Katie is about as accurate a portrait of eldest child syndrome I’ve ever seen (takes one to know one) given the way she tries to micromanage her siblings to keep some semblance of control and superiority. You want to love her when you hate her, and you want to hate her when you love her.
His Three Daughters is available on Netflix.
CHRISTIAN FRIEDEL
Closest cast comp: Murray Bartlett
Much was made of the technical achievement in Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, but not nearly enough attention was paid to the crucial role played by his actors in achieving that effect. Christian Friedel, who played Auschwitz commandant Rudolph Höss, is bone-chilling as he renders his character's psychology (or lack thereof) so bare. Our conversation about the film from 2023 was one of the most revealing I’ve ever had about the craftsmanship of acting. “We cannot read him because—this is important—we never see him as a perpetrator,” Friedel told me. “But he is the perpetrator.” I’m curious to see how he expands that skillset to characters who are less overtly evil.
The Zone of Interest is available on Max.
SCOTT GLENN
Closest cast comp: F. Murray Abraham
Scott Glenn is one of cinema’s great “that guy”s, especially when it comes to dad movies. There are so many to choose from: The Right Stuff, The Silence of the Lambs, Training Day, and the Bourne series. But I’ll highlight a great role in the first Jack Ryan film, The Hunt for Red October. As Commander Bart Mancuso, he’s a crucial ally of Alec Baldwin’s Ryan as he faces down Sean Connery’s Marko Ramius on board a Soviet submarine. While seldom the center of attention, Glenn is always a welcome presence on screen with his sturdy gravitas.
The Hunt for Red October is available on Paramount+.
JASON ISAACS
Closest cast comp: Michael Imperioli
We all know Jason Isaacs, although usually, that’s with a long wig of flowing white hair as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. But the British thespian has given us so much, be it as Captain Hook in the millennial Peter Pan or a gut-busting ensemble member of Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin. But I’m optimistic Mike White can pull out something like what Isaacs gave in Fran Kranz’s pandemic Sundance smash Mass (albeit with a little more humor). Everything about this story of four grieving parents talking out their differences screams stage play, yet it’s a vibrant watch thanks to the dynamic performance given by Isaacs and his castmates. While the tragic subject matter makes this a tough watch, it’s one you won’t regret.
JULIAN KOSTOV
Closest cast comp: Leo Woodall
We’ll see if lightning strikes twice with The White Lotus’ ability to mint a non-American star, but my money would be on Julian Kostov if so. He’s as charming as they come in Another Mother’s Son, a somewhat rote WWII drama in which he plays a Russian prisoner who impersonates a Brit to avoid recapture by the Nazis. He’s also a key to helping the film’s protagonist, real-life resistance hero Louisa Gold, continue her subterfuge and activism. Kostov is the best part of the movie because he understands what makes a performance work, both as his character and as an actor. If we want to believe someone is what they say they are, we are likely to buy into the illusion.
Another Mother’s Son is available on Amazon Prime Video.
CHARLOTTE LE BON
Closest cast comp: Simona Tabasco
Charlotte Le Bon is a filmmaker in her own right — her directorial debut Falcon Lake is available on MUBI — but I couldn’t include that since she’s not in front of the camera. Instead, I’ll direct you to her small but mighty part in Anthropoid as Marie Kovárníková, a key co-conspirator working on the outside with the Czech men who pulled off the assassination of the highest-ranking Nazi official. This could easily be a “there’s one woman and she’s concerned” part, but Le Bon plays Marie as steely but sensitive in a way that’s difficult to pull off. I hope the Canadian actress gets more chances to show that off on the show. (Less impressive: Le Bon also has the incredibly hard task of falling madly in love with Jamie Dornan on-screen.)
Anthropoid is available to rent from various digital platforms.
MICHELLE MONAGHAN
Closest cast comp: Meghann Fahy
Michelle Mona-stans, rise up! Whether you’ve been on board since she was the only woman in the Mission: Impossible series that Tom Cruise could conjure any sexual chemistry or caught up in the two decades since then, she’s become one of the most dependable actresses in the business. Perhaps among anyone in this season’s cast, I wish the most for Monaghan to get a big boost out of being on The White Lotus because she’s such a selfless servant of whatever the script asks of her. A recent demonstration of this special skill is her supporting role in Nikyatu Jusu’s Sundance-winning Nanny. Monaghan plays the Upper East Side mommy who hires the titular childcare laborer from Senegal, and it would be so easy for her to become a caricature of white privilege. Instead, Monaghan imbues her character with humanity and reality which makes Jusu’s observations and critique land with all the more force because she’s not arguing against a straw(wo)man.
Nanny is available on Amazon Prime Video.
PARKER POSEY
Closest cast comp: Jennifer Coolidge/Aubrey Plaza
I doubt I have to sell anyone on ‘90s indie legend Parker Posey, who’s been long familiar to movie fans through her roles in decade-defining hits like Dazed and Confused and You’ve Got Mail. (Her caustic, confident wit was the blueprint for Aubrey Plaza!) All signs point to her getting the Jennifer Coolidge treatment from her casting in The White Lotus and reaching full camp queen canonical status. If you’re hungry for more Parker Posey that’s a little bit more in the deep-cut category, I’d recommend her hilarious supporting turn in The Daytrippers (from eventual Superbad director Greg Mottola). As the sister of a woman venturing into Manhattan to confront her potentially cheating husband, she’s always dependable for a wry remark or an off-beat look that puts an entirely different spin on a scene.
The Daytrippers is available on Max and the Criterion Channel.
PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER
Closest cast comp: Theo James
Early reviews of this season have highlighted benevolent nepo baby Patrick Schwarzenegger as a highlight in his capacity as a Patrick Bateman-esque pretty psycho. Good thing he’s already proven his chops in such a capacity back in 2019’s Daniel Isn’t Real. Schwarzenegger plays the titular character but not the protagonist in Adam Egypt Mortimer’s indie horror flick. He’s the manic manifestation of mental illness for the troubled student Luke, capable of imbuing confidence and inflicting pain according to his own whims. There’s something both sinister and seductive about the persona Schwarzenegger crafts that provides this lo-fi genre delight a real burst of electricity.
Daniel Isn’t Real is available to rent from various digital platforms.
AIMEE LOU WOOD
Closest cast comp: Haley Lu Richardson
An actor’s name can seem to gather force with each successive casting, and that seems to be the case with rising British star Aimee Lou Wood. It feels like The White Lotus may be what helps her reach liftoff velocity. As she approaches 30, she’s built a formidable resume across movies, television, and the stage. A good place to see those talents in action would be in Oliver Hermanus’ Living, a film which seemed to only attract attention for Bill Nighy’s leading turn and Kazuo Ishiguro’s screenplay. But Wood’s worth the watch, too, as a young woman who gives Nighy’s ailing Rodney Williams a last burst of inspiration to go on … well, living.
I had the great pleasure of interviewing Christopher Abbott, one of our finest and most unheralded working actors, about his new movie Bring Them Down. Read our conversation on Slant Magazine and be on the lookout for this great movie.
You can keep track of all the freelance writing I’ve done this year through this list on Letterboxd.
You can always keep up with my film-watching in real-time on the app Letterboxd. I’ve also compiled every movie I’ve ever recommended through this newsletter via a list on the platform as well.
Last call for interviews with 2024’s Oscar nominees! If you’re in line to bear your soul on a microphone, STAY IN LINE!
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Yours in service and cinema,
Marshall